This grant application requests matching funds for the conversion of 6,660 square feet of a 37-year old existing research space in the UCLA Center for Health Sciences into a state of the art research complex "The UCLA Yip Center for Oral/Head &Neck Oncology Research (UYCOHNOR)" supporting basic and translational research in oral/head &neck oncology. The UYCOHNOR is formed out of the recognition of an urgent need for the consolidation and significant expansion of oral and head &neck cancer research at UCLA, in particular NIH-supported translational research. The UCLA School of Dentistry has secured over 20 million dollars of NIH funds towards oral/ head &neck oncology research and research training in the last two years. Significant amounts of pending NIH grants will significantly benefit from this proposed Center. The proposed UYCOHNOR, with the envisioned leadership and significant institutional support in place, will serve as a focal center for oral and head &neck oncology research at UCLA and regionally in Southern California to foster multidisciplinary collaborative research, particularly in genomics and proteomics. Short-term goals include the development of a research environment and infrastructure to foster genomics and proteomics research of oral/head &neck cancer with a translational research focus at the UCLA School of Dentistry. The long-term goal is to elevate and enhance the UCLA oral/head &neck oncology research program to be the premier research center and research training program in the country with significant level of NIH research support.